Tried the Cassey stuff. Bought a bottle at Gander Mtn. First results sucked - too light, and not even at all. The instructions on the bottle give lousy results. So, I went on the web and watched some videos.

Second try, I rebuffed the part. Heated it in a toaster over to very warm. Hot enough to not want to hold it in my hand, but not hot enough to actually cause burns. Then I slathered the stuff on, instead of dabbing with a patch. Really slopped it all over for a couple of minutes, keeping it wet as the heat tried to dry it. At this point it looked like hell, being all streaky and rusty looking. I let it sit for a minute or two, then buffed it out using steel wool.

Much darker, but still blue, and nowhere near black like some finishes. Still a bit uneven, which means I need to try it again. Color isn't all that important, but it has to be even and uniform all over. Water beads up on the surface. I'll lightly sand it and try again.

October 19, 20112:41 PM

Rob

Upstate New York

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I've been watching a lot of gunsmithing videos on YouTube lately and Brownell's Oxpho Blue seems to be widely liked. I haven't tried it myself so I'd like to know your results if you give it a try. - Rob

October 19, 20117:53 AM

rleete

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I have some steel parts (not gun parts, but stuff I made) that I'd like to blue. Yes, I know that hot tank bluing is the best way to go, but this is me, the cheapskate. With that in mind, what to get?

There's Brownell's, Birch-Cassey, and a slew of other ones out there. Naturally, they all claim to be the best, and the easiest, and give the nicest results. Has anyone ever used anything, either as a touch up or to refinish an entire gun? If so, how much of a pain-in-the-ass was it? How well were you able to match the color/darkness that you wanted?

Since these parts are unfinished, I do not have to match anything else, but I'd like them to be fairly dark. Also, since these will not be subject to weather, rust prevention is of minor importance. Handling will also be minimal, so wear characteristics are not a factor. What I want is a deep, dark blue color that is even and streak free.